Enhancing Primary Education with Mobile Phone Applications for Teachers and

Pupils: Findings and Results from Senegal

Agbessi Constant Tchona, Childfund SenegalLandry Ahouansou, SenMobile, SenegalChun Hei Cheung, USA

UNESCO Mobile Week #mlw2014 @UNESCOICTs

Little individual attention for each student Different learning styles are not accounted

for Few active learning activities Lack of libraries and hard to get access to

books Late introduction to ICT Teacher training to increase and improve Lack of local content (in French and local

languages)

Problems AddressedProblems Addressed

Java ME

Java ME

1 school in the suburbs of Dakar 80 pupils 2 teachers + principal 2 inspectors of the Ministry of Education

in Senegal

PilotPilot

Involvement of TeachersInvolvement of Teachers

Content

Observing Class ActivitiesObserving Class Activities

Meetings with ParentsMeetings with Parents

Distribute apps

Training for TeachersTraining for Teachers

Introduction of the AppsIntroduction of the Apps

Use of Apps in the ClassroomUse of Apps in the Classroom

EvaluationEvaluation

Are the children learning?

• Pre-test

• Use of the apps

• Post-test (conducted on the same day)

Perception of the tool

• Interviews with directors, supervisors, teachers, and parents

Observations

EvaluationEvaluation

• Reading improved by 40%*• Writing improved by 45%*• Different styles to use the apps:

• Some students work on paper and enter the results• Some students just use the apps

• Pupils finished a large number of exercises without pausing

* Between the pre-and post-test. Further study is needed to verify these results

Positive points Good start Completed many things in 2 ½ months

To improve Emphasize teachers’ training and coaching Find ways to have teachers contribute

content Add more content Build an ecosystem

ResultsResults